It was dawn, the sun a bloodied red eye that seeped everywhere on the yellow parchment. Sonic was still up, and he began to think the sky looked as if it was stabbed, blood running across the horizon. He wasn't sure why he began to have these violent thoughts and metaphors. Her father suffered enough. But no, he wanted to break him down until he was nothing but grains of dust, nearly nonexistent. But what would that make him? He knew he wanted to make Schiza think of him as a loving angel who came to protect her and guide her. But he thought of himself as a dog with a spiked collar that viciously attacked anyone who came close to her. But for all he knew, he was kept on metal chains, the chains squeezing his throat and embedding deep into his neck.

He loved Schiza. So much. He didn't want to see her suffer anymore. He realized at this moment he would do anything for her. After all, he considered her a princess, and him a loyal servant. And anyone who dared to try to hurt her? He thought they got what they deserved.

Love is a very powerful feeling. When you deeply love that person, you'll do anything for them, anything to please them. Sometimes, this Love blankets and choke the brain, when you realize that you really were willing to do anything for them. And your brain is choking, Love has it by her long black nails at the tips of her fingers. Then that Love becomes blind. It becomes Madness. And through Madness, you become blind. So blind, you don't even realize that you murdered someone because Love told you to. And some still can't see, and continue to be Mad. Anything to please their Love. Anything to quench their thirst, to no longer be hungry. Love becomes as essential as food and water to them, and it is then that it becomes a drug, and you realize that without it, you might as well be dead.

He didn't want to be Mad. But when he held Schiza's father, he could feel his fingers slowly clamping around his throat, making him struggle and gag, his face becoming as blue as him. He wanted him to beg for mercy, to utter another please, but he wanted to deny it, and continue to make him choke until his eyes rolled back and he was in Hell.

This wasn't like him, he realized. But he hated her father.

At that time, he was sitting in the corner of her room.

His eyes were unblinking and dead.

He saw that shadow come in, slip in, make her cry and sob.

Then there was that disgusting whiteness, all over the bed.

He cringed, and grew sick. But he couldn't make it stop.

If he had a knife…

He would take it…

Stab him…

And he would make him pay, mixing the white with the red. His blood for her suffering. An eye for an eye.

He should've killed him when he had the goddamn chance.

He felt his fur hardening, as if it was cold and the wind began to make it freeze. He felt around his head, feeling three hairs that felt like feathers. He plucked them, and although it hurt a little, it didn't hurt as much as pulling apart his quills. And he saw that they were feathers. So black, yet he could see a shade of very dark blue in the small twigs of fluff at the bottom.

And he felt himself breaking down.

"Sonic…" he heard a tiny voice mutter. "What's wrong?"

His princess. His darling. So sweet, so pure. If only her father didn't scar her. He could only do so much to mend the wounds.

"Hello Schiza." She noticed his voice sounded…different. As if his soul was completely sucked out of him. His voice seemed to carry the debris of decay.

"Sonic, what's wrong?" she could only repeat to him. And he stood there, unmoving, as if he was back into a toy.

"Nothing, honey." Even when he affectionally called her honey it seemed lifeless. "It's a bit too early for you to wake up. It's Saturday, isn't it?"

"What's wrong, Sonic? You don't…sound okay."

Silence. And she could still see his shadow being completely still, staring at the blood stained sky.

"Schiza." There was more silence for a while, until he spoke again. "You know I'll do anything for you, right?"

"Sonic, you're scaring me…"

"Then Uncle Sonic won't scare you anymore. He'll make all the nasty things go away. He'll make all the monsters go away. Because Uncle Sonic loves you very much. He'll do anything for you. Anything for you, my little princess."

Her heart began to thump in her chest. This wasn't like Sonic. He sounded, he acted, he even felt…different. Something wasn't right. He wasn't right.

He approached her slowly, realizing that she was shivering even when Sonic put the blanket over her body and tucked her in. He kissed her again on the forehead, but she didn't feel loved. She felt fear.

"I love you, Schiza. Uncle Sonic loves you very much. And one day, he's going to make your daddy pay. Your daddy scarred you, scarred my little lamb. But I will protect that lamb, even if it means ripping your daddy apart. I will be the lion who protects that lamb, yes."

It was still dark in her room, even with the sun's rays stabbing through the window, but she thought she could see Sonic's eyes become gold as wheat. And when he held her head, she thought she could feel many feathers underneath it.

"You still can't sleep, dear? Don't worry; I will rock you to sleep. I'll sing you a lullaby. Anything for my precious darling. Anything to get her to sleep."

She began to sweat as she saw that she was being lifted, Sonic becoming black, his hands becoming wide wings, as he took her to his feathery body, huddled her close, and began to rock her gently. He began to croon, his voice sounding dark, but yet smooth as velvet.

Hush little baby, don't say a word

Cause Uncle is going to buy you a mockingbird

If that mockingbird doesn't sing

Then Uncle is going to buy you a diamond ring

If that diamond ring doesn't shine

Uncle is going to buy you a roll of twine

If that twine gets blown away

Uncle is going to make your father pay

If your father can no longer breathe

Uncle is going to wash his hands of the deed

When Uncle realizes his hands aren't clean

Uncle is going to buy you a castle near the ocean breeze

We will live there together in peace

And Uncle is going to get you whatever you please

Her heart was beating too fast for her to be soothed by his rocking and his voice. Sonic wasn't there anymore. He was replaced by a raven, with those crimson, glowing eyes that she could see so clearly in the dark, with that sharp, thin beak, as it opened its mouth wide and screeched a ear-piercing caw, thinking it was so loud, it would pierce the sky and the sun would crack open like an egg.

But she awoke, panting and sweating and feeling like she wanted to cry. As she slowly came to the realization that she was in her room, not under that crow's wing, she kept reminding herself that it was only a dream. Yet another dream that she wasn't sure had actually happened.

She saw it was about mid-morning, the sky looking a deep blue on this autumn day. She saw Sonic sitting on her bed, silent and stationary. He was a toy again, as his unmoving eyes seemed to gaze up at her with a fixed smile.

She realized it was her birthday today. Roger and Lorena were going to give her some cake and ice cream, and anything she wanted out of the toy store or any store she desired. But after she had that dream, she wished they could give her some comfort and assure her that Sonic didn't become insane and was going to become a monster. He would still be loving, and his mind would still be intact.

She tried to focus her mind on other things as she picked out yet another dress that Renee gave her when she bought her clothes back in foster care, a nice white frilly dress with small black dots printed on it. She prepared to take a shower and do the usual brushing her hair and tying it with her red ribbons, but she couldn't help but be afraid of that toy as she thought it kept staring at her as she walked out of her room.

But she knew she would bring Sonic with her on this day. The dream didn't tell her anything. Sonic was still there for her, still affectionate and caring, still protective and willing to do anything for her.

But she thought the last two traits he had were beginning to scare her a little.

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She kept Sonic close to her as they drove to a toy store down south. She really wasn't sure on what she wanted. She figured she would have more stuffed animals, especially one that would replace Lucky. She couldn't think of anything else she truly wanted.

She was eight now. She could think of this year as when everything completely changed. She was no longer in her parent's house, and she was fortunate that she didn't have to celebrate her birthday there, she thought. Her parents wouldn't care at all that it was her birthday, and she wouldn't get anything from them at all.

The last birthday she remembered with fond memories was when she was five, when her friends surrounded her, when her parents loved her, when she met Sonic. If she was there now, she would tear up that she actually had friends who wanted to celebrate her birthday, who actually gave her the time of day. But back then she didn't think of it as anything. But when that girl (she now couldn't really remember her name) gave her Sonic, she really did think she was going to cry. Even when he wasn't alive she loved him, and she grew attached, taking him everywhere she went. To the grocery store, to school, to the vacation in California…

But she wondered if he was beginning to change. She could still remember every detail in her dream as if she just woke up from it. Hearing Sonic's dead and cold voice made her think that he was…sick. His mind was sick. She didn't want to use the term "crazy", but she heard of the term, "mentally sick". He mentioned many things about her father, and basically sung a song on how he was going to murder him. She wondered if he grew sick at the very thought of her father. She knew she did, but physically. Maybe somehow the very thought of her father still being alive after what he did made him become insane.

But she couldn't think of that anymore. Roger parked the car, and they were in front of a large toy store, with its colorful letters and parents coming in and out with children at hand.

The fall air was getting to her, her fingers cold and feeling stiff as Roger opened the door for her. Even though it was her birthday, a happy occasion for Roger and his wife, she wanted to get it over with.

When she came inside, she not only was relieved by the feel of warm air, but it was vast, the aisles bursting with toys at every nook and cranny. She wasn't too interested in the latest hottest toy that the store offered, which was apparently some kind of robotic dinosaur. She only thought of it as a simple novelty. She just wanted to pick her stuffed animals and leave.

There were many cute and glossy faces peeping at her as she approached the stuffed toy section. They had animals of all kinds: rabbits, cats, monkeys, penguins, teddy bears, nearly any animal she could think of. She was only interested in the stuffed variety. She wasn't sure why, but the ones that came alive scared her with the thought that she had to take care of them. She only wanted one that would stay still when she hugged it. It talking or trying to wriggle out of her grasp, even monotonously replying back "I love you" made her feel uncomfortable. And she didn't understand why children wanted a toy that lied to them.

She was quiet as they picked out each toy for examination. She wasn't sure what toy she wanted, but at the same time, she thought she didn't really care. But as she looked at each one, their stitched faces seeming to beg her to pick them, she wasn't too interested in any of them.

She was so worried about all these toys suddenly coming alive at her that she didn't seem to notice Sonic escaping from her grasp and slipping away, walking to the next aisle. She thought she could hear sneakers stepping on the hard linoleum floor, but she could only think it was another kid also picking out a toy for himself.

She looked again at one of the stalls. She could only think of it as a mere coincidence, with that large, golden lion with the fuzzy mane surrounding a shiny fleeced lamp, with its seemingly innocent blue eyes looking up to him. They didn't seem to look at her. They were looking at each other, their eyes in a mutual agreement of trust.

I will be the lion who protects the lamb, yes. I will protect that lamb, even if it means ripping your daddy apart.

She immediately wanted to separate them. She thought she would just take the lamb and use it to replace Lucky, and just get out of here. She thought she had enough.

"Roger, Lorena! I want this one! Let's go, okay?"

"Oh honey, why do you seem to be in such a hurry? You can pick out more toys if you wan-…" Lorena said, until she was cut off by Schiza answering her back, seemingly in one breath.

"I only want one toy, okay? I really don't need any other ones. I'm hungry, let's go back home and eat."

"Are you sure, darling?" Roger asked. "I'm sure you want more than just one stuffed animal. I'll feel like your parents, if you know what I mean!"

"It's okay, it'll be alright. I'm hungry. I want to eat."

She wasn't sure where Sonic went, she suddenly realized. Did she leave him somewhere? Or did he…just somehow got up and walk away?

She was prepared to have them look for him (as much as she quickly wanted to get out of here), until she thought she could see blue, felt quills protruding from Lorena's large designer purse. He wasn't sure how he got there. But yet she didn't care. If he was with her, that was all she needed. She picked out her toy. Just get out of this store!

"Well, alright, darling. We are a little famished after our day of work, and I think a good helping of cake and ice cream will help. Maybe we can find out what you really want later. Maybe as a late birthday gift?"

She nodded quickly, gripping onto her lamb as tightly as she held Sonic. She felt like she couldn't let go of it until she knew the cashier had to scan it in order for her parents to pay for it. She let him pry it out of her hands, as she thought she saw those quills quiver a little inside her purse.

She thought she would quiver too as she stepped back out in the cold, rubbing her hands a little as they got inside the car. She was relieved when Roger turned the heater on, and also relieved that they were just going to go back home to have a dinner of cake.

"Oh dear, how did he get in here?" Lorena said, as she pulled out Sonic by his quills. He gazed at her with those still eyes, smiling with those stitches, as if he didn't mind being held like this.

Sonic was reunited in her arms with the lamb while Lorena looked deeper into her purse, and, with great surprise, pulled out yet another stuffed animal like a claw in those rigged crane machines she saw before they left the store.

It was a zebra, with its impeccable brown glass eyes and its stout tail with black brushy hair on the end and on its head and neck.

Zebras. Olesya's favorite animal.

"How did this get here too? Roger, do you remember me…taking this zebra? Am I a klepto and I took it without anyone, even me, knowing?"

Roger looked back at her, a little astonished. "No, I don't, Lorena. Schiza, do you remember taking this zebra? Tell me the truth."

She was surprised too, until she realized why Sonic was probably in her purse.

He took it. He stole the zebra from the store. He somehow escaped Schiza's grip and took it under everyone's nose. Anything for you, my princess…

"No, I didn't take it. I didn't even realize it was in her purse. In fact, can we take it back? And do it quick?"

Roger was already on the highway, and he felt it would be foolish to go through all this traffic just to return one little stuffed animal. He believed Schiza in not taking it. After all, she offered to take it back. Maybe they already paid for it and Lorena put it in her purse? His memory was getting older and faint, so he was sure that was what happened.

"Don't worry about it, Schiza. I'm sure we might've already paid for it. Besides, the traffic is horrible here today. I'm not going to go through it again just so we can return the zebra to the store. Besides, even I thought you needed more toys than that lamb!"

She already thought of the stuffed animals' names. The lamb would also be called Lucky. The zebra would be called Sneaky Pete.

Sonic was still for the rest of the night. She ate some really good red velvet cake that Lorena made especially for her, and they got her some cookie dough ice cream along with it. She ate it and forgot for a moment's notice about Sonic becoming sick and taking the zebra while they weren't looking. For a moment, she wanted to forget about it and remind herself that it was her birthday. She was eight now. She should be happy that she was a little older now.

As the time waned, she felt her eyelids becoming heavy, her yawning becoming more and more frequent, and by the time it was 9:30, she was exhausted.

She lurched up the stairs, her body feeling like lead as Roger and Lorena told her to have sweet dreams. She didn't see Sonic near her bed, ready to lull her to sleep. He didn't need to. He didn't even need to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight. Just covering herself with the blanket and putting her head on the pillow was enough to make her crash. And in a very short amount of time, she began to dream.

She didn't even see that Sonic was nowhere to be found, and there were some black feathers strewn around her room and out her door.